Flotation process



MATIC IPRGCESS FLGTATISN COMPAIQIY, OF NEW 5. 02131, 2]. Y1,

EELAVJARE.

l DENVER, COLGEADD, ASSIGNOE, BY HCES'NE ASSIGNMENTSQTG PNEE A CORPGRATION 0F FLQTATZQEJ K EOGESE.

,sco sioi N 0 Drawing.

lie it known that l, ltcooiir GAHL, n citizcn of tho l'nitcd States, residing at Denver, in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented ccrtuin new and useful lmprovcnicnts in Flotation Proccsscs, of which thc following is a specification. 1

This invcntion relates toso-callcd flota tion proccsscs for the concentration of ores, and comprises u novel procedure by means oi which thc ciiiciency of these flotation processes may be very greatly improved, particularly in their application to certain ores which are unsuited for treatment by the ordinary methods. The invention will be described in its application to the flotation of siilfitl or even carbonate ores contcining small percentages of copper, by means of air bubbles used in. conjunction with suitable hydrocarbon substances, such as coal-tar and-allied products. it is bolicvcd, howover, that the present improvement is applicable to flotation processes in general.

It is a matter of common observation that certain orcs or ore-batches do not respond well to the flotation trcutnlcnt; and more or lcss refractory ores have been discovcred wherever concentration by flotation has been nttcrnptcd, the (illl llClllty being that tho gungue matter has too much tendency to flout. Even in ore bodies consisting largely oi good flotation ores, portions are found which are less suited for this trcatincnt; and in ore mixtures which respond well to flotation, portions can frequently be sorted out which do not so respond when treated by thenisclvcs. For this reason, the mixin of different rcs has proven beneficial in :i, great many cases. In many cascs however, orcs ncccssury to constitute a properly Specification of Letters Patent.

Putontotl only 2Q, itl2i Application filed December 10, 1918. Serial No. 266.024.

responsive mixture are not available, and for sucl cases the process herein described will prove particularly useful. -25

l harc observed. that ores which are rc tractor-y to the ordinary flotation treatment can bc handled without difficulty, and .with a reasonubly high degree of cilicicncy, provided there are added to the orc,,'and thorso oughly mixed therewith, certain solid subtanccs which arc not themselves floated, and which do not apparently cnter at all. into the flotation reaction.

In my prior application Serial No, 75,344, 55 filed Jamuiryfil, 1916, l have described the use of iron or steel in a fine; state of subdivision My present invention is based on tho tl i covcry that other solid substances, suc granular sand, have 21 similar eil ect in facili toting: the flotation of otherwise rcfrsctmjz, ores. Such sands, for example, may be convenicntly obtained by separating the tnilings from a flotation machine into-sand and 6 slime, suitable amount of the sand portion being returned to the flotation machine,

which therefore treats this sand product in addition to its regular feed of ground ore.

My invention is pitrticuiarly adaptable to W3 tho-flotation of ore mixtures which are ret'ractory to flotation on uccoimt of the ex cessivc amount of primary Vrhile I have referred to the use of sand, other granular non-metallic material may 5755 be used to produce a like result.

I claim:

A process of concentrating ores by flotation which consists in introducing adclitional sand substantially free from slimes so into the normal pulp and subjecting the mixture to froth flotation-i In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

1 i RUDOLF GAHL. 

